Jonathan's Daring Attack

¹Kwathi ngosuku oluthile uJonathani indodana kaSawule wathi odibini oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Woza siwele, siye ekhandeni lamaFilisti elingaphesheya.” Kepha akamtshelanga uyise.

²USawule wahlala emaphethelweni aseGibeya phansi kompomegranati oseMigroni; abantu ababe naye babe ngamakhulu ayisithupha;

³u-Ahiya indodana ka-Ahithubi, umfowabo ka-Ikabodi indodana kaFinehasi ka-Eli, umpristi kaJehova eShilo, wayembethe ingubo yamahlombe. Abantu babengazi ukuthi uJonathani uhambile.

⁴Phakathi kwezintuba uJonathani afuna ukuwela ngazo ukuya ekhandeni lamaFilisti kwakukhona ugedla lwesiwa ngalapha nogedla lwesiwa ngalapha; igama lolunye laliyiBosesi, negama lolunye laliyiSene.

⁵Olunye ugedla lwaluphakeme ngasenyakatho phambi kweMikimashi, nolunye ngaseningizimu phambi kweGeba.

⁶UJonathani wathi odibini lwakhe oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Woza siwele, siye ekhandeni lalabo abangasokile; ingabe uJehova uyakusisebenzela, ngokuba akukho okumthiyayo uJehova ukuba asindise ngabaningi noma ngabayingcosana.”

⁷Ophethe izikhali zakhe wathi kuye: “Yenza konke okusenhliziyweni yakho: hamba, bheka, nginawe njengenhliziyo yakho.”

⁸Wayesethi uJonathani kuye: “Bheka, siyakuwela, siye kulabo bantu, sizibonakalise kubo.

⁹Uma bethi kithi: ‘Hlalani size sifike kini,’ khona siyakuma endaweni yethu, singenyukeli kubo.

¹⁰Kepha uma bethi: ‘Yenyukelani kithi,’ siyakwenyuka, ngokuba uJehova ubanikele esandleni sethu; lokhu kuyakuba yisibonakaliso kithi.”

¹¹Bobabili bazibonakalisa kulo ikhanda lamaFilisti; amaFilisti ayesethi: “Bhekani, amaHeberu aphuma emigodini acashe kuyo.”

¹²Abantu basekhandeni bamphendula uJonathani nodibi lwakhe, bathi: “Khuphukelani kithi, siyakunifundisa indaba.” UJonathani wayesethi odibini oluphethe izikhali zakhe: “Khuphuka emva kwami, ngokuba uJehova ubanikele esandleni sakwa-Israyeli.”

¹³UJonathani wakhuphuka ngezandla zakhe nangezinyawo zakhe, nodibi lwakhe emva kwakhe; bawa phambi kukaJonathani, nodibi lwezikhali zakhe lwababulala emva kwakhe.

¹⁴Lokho kuceka kokuqala abakwenzayo uJonathani nodibi lwezikhali zakhe kwakungabantu kungathi amashumi amabili ebangeni elingathi inxenye ye-eka lensimu.

¹⁵Kwaba khona ukuthuthumela ekamu, nasendle, naphakathi kwabantu bonke; ikhanda nabaphangi bathuthumela nabo, nomhlaba wazamazama, kwaze kwaba ngukuthuthumela okukhulu.

¹⁶Abalindi bakaSawule eGibeya lakwaBenjamini babona, bheka, isixuku sahlakazeka, saya ngalapha nangalapha.

¹⁷USawule wayesethi kubantu ababe naye: “Balani manje, nibone ukuthi ngubani omukile kithi.” Babala, bheka, uJonathani nodibi lwezikhali zakhe babengekho.

¹⁸USawule wathi ku-Ahiya: “Letha umphongolo kaNkulunkulu.” Ngokuba umphongolo kaNkulunkulu wawukhona ngaleso sikhathi kwabakwa-Israyeli.

¹⁹Kwathi uSawule esakhuluma kumpristi, umsindo owawusekamu lamaFilisti waqhubeka, wanda; uSawule wathi kumpristi: “Susa isandla sakho.”

²⁰USawule nabo bonke abantu ababe naye babuthana, baya ekulweni; bheka, yilowo nalowo washaya omunye ngenkemba, kwaba khona ukungquzuka okukhulu kakhulu.

²¹AmaHeberu ayenamaFilisti kuqala nawo akhuphukela ekamu nxazonke, aphendukela kwabakwa-Israyeli ababe noSawule noJonathani.

²²Abantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli ababecashile ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi sebezwile ukuthi amaFilisti abaleka, nabo bawaxosha ekulweni.

²³UJehova wasindisa u-Israyeli ngalolo suku; ukulwa kwadlulela eBeti Aveni.

²⁴Abantu bakwa-Israyeli babecindezelwa ngalolo suku, kepha uSawule wafungisa abantu, wathi: “Makaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla kungakahlwi, ngingakaziphindiseli ezitheni zami.” Akwabakho muntu owezwa ukudla.

²⁵Abantu bonke beza ehlathini; kwakukhona izinyosi phansi.

²⁶Abantu sebengenile ehlathini, bheka, izinyosi zaconsa, kepha akwabakho muntu obeka isandla emlonyeni, ngokuba abantu besaba isifungo.

²⁷Kepha uJonathani akezwanga lapho uyise efungisa abantu; ngalokho welula isihloko senduku esesandleni sakhe, wasicwilisa ezinyosini, wabeka isandla emlonyeni; ayeseqabuka amehlo akhe.

²⁸Kwase kuthatha omunye wabantu, wathi: “Uyihlo wabafungisa nokubafungisa abantu, ethi: ‘Makaqalekiswe umuntu odla ukudla namuhla.’ Abantu babephelile amandla.”

²⁹Wayesethi uJonathani: “Ubaba uhluphile izwe; ake nibone ukuthi amehlo ami aseqabukile, ngokuba ngizwe ingcosana yalezi zinyosi.

³⁰Kakhulu kangakanani, uma abantu bebedlile impela impango yezitha zabo abayifumanayo, ngokuba nga engabulawanga kakhulu amaFilisti na?”

³¹Babulala amaFilisti ngalolo suku kusukela eMikimashi kuze kube se-Ajaloni; abantu baphela amandla kakhulu.

³²Abantu batheleka empangweni, bathatha izimvu, nezinkabi, namankonyane, bakubulalela phansi; abantu bakudla kanye negazi.

³³Base bemtshela uSawule, bethi: “Bheka, abantu bayona kuJehova ngokudla okunegazi.” Wathi: “Nenze kabi; gingqelani kimi itshe elikhulu namuhla.”

³⁴Wathi uSawule: “Hlakazekelani phakathi kwabantu, nithi kubo: ‘Lethani kimi, kube yilowo nalowo inkabi yakhe, nalowo imvu yakhe, nizihlabe lapha, nidle, ningoni kuJehova ngokudla okunegazi.’ ” Bonke abantu baletha, kwaba yilowo nalowo inkabi yakhe ngalobo busuku ngesandla sakhe, bazihlaba khona.

³⁵USawule wamakhela uJehova i-altare; kwakuyi-altare lokuqala amakhela lona uJehova.

³⁶USawule wathi: “Masehle, silandele amaFilisti ebusuku, siwaphange kuze kuse, singashiyi noyedwa kuwo.” Bathi: “Yenza konke okuhle emehlweni akho.” Umpristi wayesethi: “Masisondele lapha kuNkulunkulu.”

³⁷USawule wabuza kuNkulunkulu wathi: “Ngehle ngilandele amaFilisti na? Uyakuwanikela esandleni sakwa-Israyeli na?” Kepha akamphendulanga ngalolo suku.

³⁸USawule wathi: “Sondelani lapha nina nonke zinhloko zabantu, nazi, nibone ukuthi bekuyisiphi lesi sono sanamuhla.

³⁹Ngokuba, kuphila kukaJehova osindisa u-Israyeli, nokuba sikuJonathani indodana yami, uyakufa nokufa.” Kepha akwabakho noyedwa owamphendulayo.

⁴⁰Wayesethi ku-Israyeli wonke: “Buyelani nganhlanye nina, mina noJonathani indodana yami siyakubuyela nganhlanye.” Abantu bathi kuSawule: “Yenza okuhle emehlweni akho.”

⁴¹Ngalokho uSawule wathi kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: “Malivele iqiniso.” OJonathani noSawule badliwa yinkatho, kepha abantu baphunyuka.

⁴²USawule wathi: “Yenzani inkatho phakathi kwami noJonathani indodana yami.” Wadliwa uJonathani.

⁴³USawule wayesethi kuJonathani: “Ngitshele okwenzileyo.” UJonathani wamtshela wathi: “Impela ngezwa ingcosana yezinyosi ngesihloko senduku eyayisesandleni sami; bheka, sengizakufa.”

⁴⁴USawule wathi: “Makenze njalo uNkulunkulu, enezele futhi, ngokuba uyakufa nokufa, Jonathani!”

⁴⁵Abantu bathi kuSawule: “Uyakufa yini uJonathani okwenzile lokho kusindisa okukhulu kwa-Israyeli na? Makube kude; kuphila kukaJehova, akuyikuwela phansi nolulodwa unwele lwekhanda lakhe, ngokuba usebenzile noNkulunkulu namuhla.” Abantu bamhlenga ukuba angafi.

⁴⁶USawule wayesenyuka ebuya ekulandeleni amaFilisti; aya endaweni yawo.

⁴⁷USawule esethathile umbuso wakwa-Israyeli walwa nazo zonke izitha zakhe nxazonke, noMowabi, nabantwana bakwa-Amoni, no-Edomi, namakhosi aseSoba, namaFilisti; nomaphi lapho ebheka khona, wayehlula.

⁴⁸Wenza okobuqhawe, wanqoba ama-Amaleki, wamophula u-Israyeli esandleni sabaphangi.

⁴⁹Amadodana kaSawule ayengoJonathani, no-Ishivi, noMaliki Shuwa; amagama amadodakazi akhe amabili yilawa: igama lenkulu lalinguMerabi, igama lencane lalinguMikhali.

⁵⁰Igama lomkaSawule lalingu-Ahinohama indodakazi ka-Ahimahazi; igama lenduna yempi yakhe lalingu-Abineri indodana kaNeri uyisekazi kaSawule.

⁵¹UKishi uyise kaSawule noNeri uyise ka-Abineri babe ngamadodana ka-Abiyeli.

⁵²Kwakukhona ukulwa okunzima namaFilisti zonke izinsuku zikaSawule; lapho uSawule ebona iqhawe nendoda enamandla wazithathela bona.